July 3 - 10:55am EDT   Multiple leaks today indicate that Microsoft is set to declare Windows 7 complete in just 10 days. The software developer is now expected to produce a Release to Manufacturing (RTM) build of the operating system on July 13th and is likely timing the news for its Worldwide Partner Conference the same day in New Orleans, which would let it hand companies a finished copy. The RTM version will be what ships to PC builders and retail when the software ships on October 22nd. [full story]

June 23 - 4:15pm EDT   OCZ on Tuesday released its Sabre OLED multimedia keyboard meant for gamers or CAD professionals. OCZ's first premium peripheral offering, the Sabre sports nine dedicated OLED keys (not unlike Art Lebedev Optimus keyboards) that can be customized and are capable of displaying key icons converted from digital images or text. The rest of the 103 keys are backlit with amber LEDs. [full story]

June 23 - 8:45am EDT   Gateway this morning chose to follow an unusual tack and launched the LT3100 as its second-generation netbook. The crossover PC is just an inch thick and about 3.1 pounds but uses an 11.6-inch, 1366x768 display and has components closer to a regular notebook's: it uses a low-power, single-core 1.2GHz Athlon 64 with Radeon X1270 graphics and a full 2GB of RAM. Consciously breaking Microsoft's rules for netbooks means the system uses Windows Vista Home Basic instead of XP, but the faster components should support the full Aero Glass interface where Atom netbooks usually struggle. [full story]

June 16 - 4:00pm EDT   BenQ recently announced the upcoming release of its ultra-portable netbook, the 13.3-inch Joybook Lite T131. Weighing in at just under 4lbs, the 13.3-inch T131 sports a 1.6GHz AMD Sempron 200U processor based on the same platform as the Athlon Neo and which should give performance better than netbooks without a major increase in bulk. A minimum of 1GB of RAM is onboard, as is an ATI Mobility Radeon X1270 graphics chipset that can drive HD video playback. The standard 250GB hard drive -- a 320GB drive is an option -- comes preloaded with Windows Vista Home Basic. [full story]

June 16 - 10:15am EDT   Storage device maker Kingston Technology on Monday announced it has released a new USB flash drive series, the DataTraveler 200, with the first-ever 128GB USB flash drive available. The range also offers 32GB and 64GB models. All have password protection in the form of Password Traveler security software for Windows. The DT200s have a capless design, with the USB connector retracting into the device's body for protection. [full story]

June 11 - 3:45pm EDT   New images show there may soon be an addition to Lenovo's ThinkPad T400 notebook range with a new, slimmer model, the T400s. Its 0.83-inch thickness represents a noticeable reduction from the T400's 1.12-inch design. Specs will be shared with the range, according to SOBlog, including a choice of 2.4GHz and 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processors and a 14.1-inch, LED-backlit display with a 1440x900 resolution. Due to the T400s' slimness, users won't be able to upgrade from Intel's integrated 4500MHD graphics processor, however. [full story]

June 4 - 3:55pm EDT   The Russian government today accused Microsoft of monopolistic behavior in its treatment of Windows XP. Antitrust officials said they would launch an investigation in the belief that Microsoft was unfairly pulling the older operating system from stores before the market was ready. Although significant demand exists for XP in both public and private sectors, Microsoft has been insisting in some cases that these outlets use Windows Vista instead. [full story]

June 2 - 2:40pm EDT   Microsoft today ended speculation and said it would ship Windows 7 on October 22nd. The launch applies to all versions and confirms statements from Acer that it would have the new OS preloaded on its PCs just a day later. Pricing for individual upgrade and full installs hasn't been mentioned. [full story]

May 26 - 12:45pm EDT   Microsoft has posted 64- and 32-bit versions of Service Pack 2, a major update for Windows Vista and Server 2008. The downloads measure 577 and 348MB respectively, and include all of the key Windows updates produced since the debut of Service Pack 1. New devices and hardware platforms are also said to be supported, such as Bluetooth 2.1, 64-bit VIA CPUs and Blu-ray data recording. [full story]

May 26 - 8:05am EDT   Sony on Tuesday showed rare conservatism by giving its VAIO P netbook an option for Windows XP. The P50 variant lets the mini notebook skip Vista for the faster, less demanding older OS while trading few features. It loses only Sony's in-Windows media software but still gets access to the instant-on OS for media playback and other basics outside of Microsoft's platform. It also boosts the minimum storage from 60GB to 80GB. [full story]

May 25 - 1:30pm EDT   PC, notebook, monitor and related hardware manufacturer Dell has recently began offering its Studio XPS 13 notebook PC preloaded with the Linux-based Ubuntu operating system. The 13.3-inch notebook otherwise has the same key specs as its Windows Vista-powered counterpart, including the same 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, though some of the available options between them differ. For example, users can upgrade to a 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo on the Ubuntu XPS 13, while those who opt for the Vista system have a choice of a different 2.53GHz and a 2.66GHz CPU. [full story]

May 22 - 3:50pm EDT   Microsoft will drop the controversial three-app limit on Windows 7 Starter Edition by the time it reaches shelves, an apparent scoop by long-time Microsoft observer Paul Thurrott indicates. Although the restriction is often softened in practice, the approach would let owners use more than three full, active apps at a time. Microsoft previously instituted the limit both to accommodate the slower systems that would likely be used as well as to push customers towards the more lucrative Vista Home Basic. [full story]

May 20 - 7:35am EDT   Microsoft today quietly added Netflix support to Windows Media Center. The extension gives it features above and beyond athe Xbox 360 and lets users both add to as well as play their Watch Instantly movie queues. It can also auto-suggest new movies based on existing viewing habits. The addition gives home theater PCs access to a 10-foot media interface instead of having to use the Netflix website itself to stream shows. [full story]

May 19 - 1:40pm EDT   Sanyo has recently announced the upcoming release of its PLC-WXU700 LCD projector in the US. The company claims the device is the world's first with 802.11n Wi-Fi. Hooking it up to a Windows Vista PC will turn it into a network projector, capable of streaming videos at a native widescreen 1280x800 resolution; other operating systems can use the networking for non-streaming control. The portable projector sports a 500:1 contrast ratio and weighs less than 8lbs. Sanyo says its 3,800 lumens brightness makes it the brightest in its class. [full story]

May 19 - 10:50am EDT   Microsoft's Laptop Hunters ads may be hurting Apple's image, according to new data from BrandIndex. Looking at the perceived value for money of Apple and Microsoft brands, the research shows Apple dropping from a peak in February and March to well below Microsoft by mid-May. In contrast, Microsoft itself climbed from a score of 0 near the start of 2009 to 46, or much higher than Apple's current 12. [full story]